What Made These Franchise Industry Insiders Choose Our Dog Daycare Franchise?

Join us in a tail-wagging welcome to our newest additions to the Hounds Town USA family, Craig and Tina Taylor! The Taylors plan on opening their Hounds Town franchise location in St. Louis, Missouri later this year. Like many of our Franchise Owners, the couple is em-BARK-ing on their Hounds Town journey without any previous experience in the pet industry; however, their very unique experience in the franchise industry is precisely what led them to us in the first place!

As a franchise consultant with Business Alliance, Inc., a leading resource for entrepreneurs looking to invest in the right franchise opportunity, Craig Taylor has worked extensively with our franchise development partners at Raintree for the past couple of years, and became interested in a few of the Denver-based growth agency’s pet-centric partner brands before finding their PAW-fect match with Hounds Town USA.

“Ultimately we felt Hounds Town was the best fit for my wife and I [sic],” said Craig during a recent interview. “We relocated to St. Louis because my original area was taken.”

This really shows the level of commitment the Taylors had when it came to owning their own business. To move and uproot their family for Hounds Town is a big deal – and they aren’t the only Hounds Town Franchise Owners to do so. Many of our Franchise Owners started in completely different industries, often with no real pet care experience under their belts, ready to rearrange their lives to start their Hounds Town USA doggie daycare businesses.

Building A Future in the BOOMING Pet Care Industry

With diverse backgrounds in engineering, manufacturing, law, and marketing under their belts, the Taylors have been working as franchise consultants for about two years with Business Alliance, Inc. Helping entrepreneurs connect with their ideal franchise opportunities each day led Craig and Tina to see the potential in investing in a solid, proven franchise concept themselves, particularly in the surging pet care industry. But what was it about Hounds Town USA that made this couple decide to make the leap from franchise consultants to franchise investors?

“We wanted an investment in the pet care industry,” said Tina during our interview, “Hounds Town USA has a simple business model with great potential. From what we’ve seen, it’s a great company to be part of with great support.”

Offering top-notch support is a major focus on the Hounds Town franchise. A number of similar franchise concepts in the pet care industry don’t offer as much in the way of startup support for Franchise Owners. At Hounds Town USA, our corporate team is dedicated to helping our Franchise Owners every step of the way – from in-depth training and pre-launch planning to ongoing technical and business support. We believe that taking a hands-on approach to Franchise Owner training ensures that our partners successfully launch their businesses and stay stable throughout the first several years. Our team also understands that many of our potential Franchise Owners are individuals who are making career changes and may not have a lot in the way of business experience. Luckily, the Hounds Town corporate team is always there to help. However, this was just one reason why the Taylors opted to work with Hounds Town.

“Hounds Town USA was affordable, had strong ROI potential, offered a simple business model, and had great corporate support,” said Craig when asked why the pair chose Hounds Town USA over other pet business models and franchises, “We looked at another franchise in the pet care sector called Pet Supplies Plus before we found Hounds Town. We loved it, but it was too expensive. Hounds Town USA doesn’t have inventory, and it also requires half the number of employees.”

This is another big reason why so many Franchise Owners opt for Hounds Town. We take a simplified approach to running doggie daycare facilities. We understand that most pet owners don’t really want the add-ons, frills, bells, and whistles that other franchises offer. Most pet owners just want a simple and safe doggie daycare to bring their beloved pet. With this business model in mind, Hounds Town requires significantly less in the way of retail inventory and initial Franchise Owner investment. There’s also no need for a massive workforce to operate our facilities. Hounds Town USA offers Franchise Owners the chance to start their business for as little as $339,300 by employing basic, cost-effective, and pet-friendly materials in our buildings. This investment is much cheaper than comparable doggie daycare franchises and similar pet care facilities in the U.S., allowing our Franchise Owners to break even quickly and start earning real profits fast.

Strong Validation for a Solid Pet Care Concept

So what was the turning point during the Discovery Process that made Craig and Tina want to fully commit to the franchise opportunity? According to the Taylors, it was when Hounds Town USA Development Director Rob Taylor (no relation) purchased his own three-pack of Denver, CO franchise territories– making for strong validation for the brand. 

“Rob is a saint!” Tina gushed, “He’s awesome! Excellent to work with, communicates well, supportive, helpful, responsive, patient. I mean, we relocated for Hounds Town USA, and Rob was very understanding of this.”

When we asked the Taylors what they hoped the future would hold for them as business owners, they noted that just getting the doggie daycare franchise in St. Louis open was their main focus.

“We can’t wait to have the lifestyle that goes with it,” said Craig.

The Taylors will be starting as Owner/Operators of their St. Louis facility. From there, they will start looking to hire a manager to handle day-to-day operations. Tina will be working full-time in the Hounds Town USA facility while Craig will continue to work as a BAI consultant. This is a common timeline for many new Hounds Town Franchise Owners. Part of the appeal is the ease with which Franchise Owners can take a hands-on or hands-off approach to run their facilities. Without the need for a large workforce, it’s usually much more simple to run a Hounds Town doggie daycare on a semi-absentee basis than another pet care franchise concept.

As new business owners, the team at Hounds Town USA is looking forward to seeing how the Taylors choose to run their St. Louis franchise location. Let’s wish them luck for the future!

If you’re ready to leave the 9-to-5 grind behind for a meaningful career doing something that truly belongs to you, PAW-portunity is knocking! Visit our franchise website to learn more.